It’s the First Friday of the month, so we’re spotlighting some family friendly viewing options for May. Take a look…

“Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood”: The Emmy-nominated series, which is a favorite among most preschool parents, debuts a brand new one-hour special titled “Tiger Family Trip” on PBS KIDS this Monday, May 8. The special kicks off a week of new Daniel Tiger programming that includes “The Lemonade Stand/Mad at the Beach” (airing Tuesday, May 9, streaming Friday, May 12) and “Daniel Feels Two Feelings/The Neighborhood Carnival” (airing Thursday, May 11, streaming Friday, May 19).

If you have kids between the ages of 2 and 5 years old and aren’t yet familiar with Daniel Tiger, I highly recommend the program, which is an animated series based on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” A recent study indicated that preschool-aged children who watch “Daniel Tiger” have higher levels of empathy, are better at recognizing emotions and more confident in social situations.

In “Tiger Family Trip,” Daniel and his family set off on their first road trip, but Daniel doesn’t know what to expect during the long car ride. Fun and helpful ways to make road trips fun for parents and young children are explored.

See the trailer for “Tiger Family Trip” here:

“The Wizard of Oz”: If you have older children in elementary school, this may be the time to introduce them to the 1939 film classic which Amazon Prime made available to subscribers on May 1. When a tornado tears through Kansas, young Dorothy and her dog Toto are caught up in the storm and somehow find themselves displaced into the land of Oz. While on their way to meet the Wizard and ask for his help getting back home, they meet a scarecrow, a tin man and a cowardly lion who have requests of their own.

Click here to read Deacon Steven Greydanus’ positive take on the classic film.

“What About Bob?”: If the flying monkeys in Oz are a little too scary for your kids, you might try this 1991 Richard Dreyfuss/Bill Murray comedy, available May 5 on Hulu. Dreyfuss plays a reputable and hardworking psychiatrist who is enjoying a family vacation at the country house…until his most obsessive, neurotic and dependent patient (Murray) follows him there. This PG-rated comedy is just as funny and endearing today as it was twenty-five years ago. Totally holds up.

“Sister Act”: This music-filled 1992 musical comedy, starring Whoopi Goldberg as a lounge singer who seeks refuge in a San Francisco convent after a mob boss puts her on his hit list, is another solid option for family movie night. It comes to Hulu on May 31. Its sequel, “Sister Act 2,” will be available as well. Click here for a Catholic review.

When the movie came out, the idea of nuns who could excel at popular music was a novel one.

But now, it’s not so unusual. Recently at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., four religious sisters from the Dominican Sisters of Mary, along with a Dominican friar and a Franciscan brother, formed a band called Force of Habit.

And of course, there was Sister Cristina Scuccia, who won the Italian version of the singing competition “The Voice.” Here’s her audition (and click here for her official Website):

“The Message of Fatima”: Premiering May 10 on EWTN, just in advance of the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima on May 13, and airing monthly through October, the docudrama recalls the apparition of Mary seen by three Portuguese children in 1917. To learn more about this dramatic effort to honor Fatima’s 100th anniversary, click here to see our blog post.

Korbi is a former full-time TV blogger, writing for sites such as E! Online and Yahoo!. She is now a full-time mom of twin boys. In her free time, she moonlights as a Marriage, Family & Individual Therapist.

Images: PBS; Warner Bros.

Learn more about Family Theater Productions’ upcoming, new and vintage productions as well as our Hollywood Outreach Programs; and, of course, you’ll find us on Facebook. Visit our YouTube and Ustream Channels for our contemporary and classic productions.